In a prior thread, Honeycomb stone?, the topic of Fetishes came up. Several of you, that’s you @chicfarmer and @Islandmomma, were wholly on board. I’m sure there are multiple collectors in this group. Let’s include both vintage and newer pieces, along with the carver (if known), and any other relevant information.
I’ll start. I, like @chicfarmer, have an “insane” number, but since I’m out of town, I only have this one to share. This is “Dotty”, I just bought “her” after the wonderful discussion about Petosky and Charlevoix fossils, I couldn’t get this marvelous fossilized coral off my mind…so I bought her:
Petoskey stone (fossilized pre-historic coral)
By Farlan and Paulette Quam,
2.75” x 2.75”
Since you bought one, I’m really glad I bumped this thread And you got one made of Petoskey Stone, which is the state stone of MI. We used to search for those on the northern shores of Lake Michigan. My sister-in-law was really good at finding them, but I never could.
I went and looked and somehow knew you would buy it. I couldn’t justify it because I have about seven that are currently waiting to go in the mail. I actually got a picture of the package today. Nothing like old friends that keep you perpetually in debt.
Well, I look forward to this because I needed to get all of mine out and take pictures and get them logged so that my children don’t sell them at yard sales. Putting the numbers down next to him is gonna be mind-boggling. It doesn’t seem like much when you do it or two a time.
It is so cool that evidently the MI area was one an inland sea?…don’t think coral is in fresh water. I do think I’ve see these fossils before, but that honeycomb thread just piked my interest. Now I have a piece of Petoskey and a nice fetish to boot!
I find various corals on my Central Wisconsin land. The Niagara Escarrpment ends about 100 miles NE from my place. At one time, glaciers knocked the top off, resulting in part of what was once a ridge in the ocean being deposited when the glacier(s) melted.
I love learning about the geology of my land.
I live near the Kettle Moraine area. I love walks near the deep kettles and spend lots of time in Elkhart lake…made by glaciers. Although I have never found any coral. Now I will have to keep my eyes open.
Here are most of my fetishes. 2 views of the same grouping. A few are signed, in script, and have Zuni NM. A few are marked with initials. Others have no hallmark.
Nice, @Patina! I’m especially drawn to bears, Buffalo and frogs. But your badgers, with the sgraffito are pretty cool! I’m assuming they are pipestone.
Since I started with a bear, I’ll add a few more bears:
This is a newer bear I picked up at Keshi in Santa Fe a couple years ago. He’s a beefy guy by Hayes Leeyka, carved from Picasso Marble. The Leeyka family bears have such personality, love their faces:
@Bmpdvm Wonderful bear fetishes. On the fossil jasper one, is that a piece of abalone shell in the tied medicine bundle? That’s unique to me - I like it.
K, since I’m not a fetish carvings person (sorry, I had to add the word carving - fetish person just sounded really REALLY wrong ), what does sgraffito mean??
They are all beautiful, but I am drawn to the Petosky bear, and the lil’ bat.
@chicfarmer, can’t wait to see yours, I bet they’ll be fabulous
@Ziacat Sgraffito is a decorative technique where the artist scratches through the surface of an item. It’s a common/popular decorative technique used on pottery. If you’re able to enlarge the photo, the back of one badger is covered in a sgraffito design.
I wondered if that’s what it was. I just had never heard the term before.
So @Patina, do you know what the golden colored bear is made of, the one on the back right? He reminds me of the bottles of honey made in a bear shape. He’s pretty cool too.
All these bears are really reminding me of my Inuit bear carving.
Yep it’s an abalone arrowhead! You’ve got a great eye for detail @Patina !
For those unfamiliar with fetishes: The items attached on the back of animal carvings a medicine, or prayer, bundle. These represent sacred items and are an offering to the animals spirit and powers. Different animals have different sacred powers. The bear is a healing fetish!
I find the beauty of the materials used for both the fetish and the bundle fascinating. Also the different styles of fetish animals.
Here’s another Zuni fetish. It’s called a medicine bear, carved by Stewart Quandalacy. He is well known for this style of bear and uses a wonderful variety of beautiful stones. This one, I was told, is Mexican agate. The characteristic heart line in his bears has been referred to as an EKG😄
@Bmpdvm Lovely! Quandelacy family fetishes are so elegant and inventive. Stewart’s bear is pretty much THE archetype of contemporary Zuni fetish bears. I have its cousin and will post it before long. Out the door to NM!
, I just bought “her” after the wonderful discussion about Petosky and Charlevoix fossils, I couldn’t get this marvelous fossilized coral off my mind…so I bought her:
And you got one made of Petoskey Stone, which is the state stone of MI. We used to search for those on the northern shores of Lake Michigan. My sister-in-law was really good at finding them, but I never could.
I hope to add some pics here too once my schedule permits.
). A dendritic limestone bear by Michael Mahooty:
